Fever Free-Agent Bust Gets Honest About Indiana Return originally appeared on Athlon Sports.
When the Indiana Fever signed forward DeWanna Bonner before the 2025 season, the expectation was that she would bring the kind of versatility, defense and veteran know-how that last year’s team sorely lacked.
Bonner had been a stalwart for the Phoenix Mercury to start her career, then spent the last five seasons with the Connecticut Sun, where she averaged 15.9 points, 6.0 rebounds, 2.6 assists and 1.2 steals. It was not clear where she would fit when she signed with the Fever, but her lengthy resume and familiarity with coach Stephanie White–who was with Connecticut the two previous seasons–lent confidence to the notion that she would figure it out on the fly.
She didn’t, and neither did the Fever.
Bonner struggled as a starter, then struggled when she was moved to the bench. She averaged just 7.1 points for Indiana, on an abysmal 34.5% shooting and after nine games, it was so clear that the fit was bad, Bonner just stayed away from the team until the Fever released her.
She wound up signing on back in Phoenix, and she has found her groove again, averaging 13.4 points on 47.8% shooting in five games. She is making 40.0% of her 3-pointers in those five games, and has come off the bench for four of them. With the Mercury slated to travel to Indiana on Wednesday, Bonner’s brief tenure with the Fever is gaining attention again.
“I wouldn’t do anything differently. I think my journey is my journey, and I’m going to accept that,” Bonner said, via the AP. “It carried me to where I am now in Phoenix, and it happened that way for a reason.”
Bonner, who has been the Sixth Woman of the Year three times in her career, bristled at the notion that she was unhappy coming off the bench in Indiana, and that’s why the relationship fell apart.
She clapped back at that assertion.
“That wasn’t ever the issue. That’s never been me,” said Bonner. “I have no problems coming off the bench. I have never been that player. I don’t feel like I have that reputation.”
She is not quite sure how fans will react to seeing her in another uniform, especially a team that is the third-best in the WNBA at 15-9, but Bonner said she won’t much let it affect her.
“I’m just going to go out and do my job,” she said. “They have every right to go out and do what they want to do. I’m just going to go out and compete with my team.”
This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jul 27, 2025, where it first appeared.